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Prince Edward Island writers are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for this year’s Writers Exchange with Tasmania. The successful applicant will be offered a three-week residency in Hobart this September.

The Prince Edward Island and Tasmania Writers’ Exchange is supported by the University of Tasmania, the University of Prince Edward Island, the PEI Writers’ Guild, and the Tasmanian Writers’ Centre. All inquiries must be directed to the Tasmanian Writers Centre.

Here are a few events that will be happening prior to the release of our November Newsletter:

ONGOING: Are you looking for a writing group or a book club? Are you looking for members for your writing group or book club? If yes, get in touch with us at peiwritersguild@gmail.com and we’ll try to match you up.

DECEMBER 15: Nova Scotia has Eastword and we have Newsletter. With all the creative folk out there, someone must have a catchier name for this monthly sheet. Send your nominations to peiwritersguild@gmail.com and, by mid-December, the Executive (not eligible to enter) will have voted on a name. Winning entry will receive a free one-year membership in the PEIWG.

November 5: Please join Island resident, Peggy Hogan, for the launch of her first novel on Wednesday, 05 November, 6:30 pm. A reception and book signing will follow. All events happen at The Haviland Club, Charlottetown, PE. Copies of the book will be available for sale at $25, taxes included. Cash only please.

November 7-9: 30 Days To A Novel with Stephanie Domet 2014. Join award-winning author Stephanie Domet for a 2-day workshop to help you write your novel, no matter how much writing experience you have! Stephanie took up the NaNoWriMo task of writing a novel in a month back in 2003, and now she’s sharing her tips and tricks on getting started with anyone who’s up for the challenge. Come with your work-in-progress, or start from scratch! For more information check out: www.nanowrimo.org. Program Cost: $380 ($225 tuition + $155 meals/accommodations).

November 10: Haviland Club Open Mic: David Helwig and Judy Gaudet are the featured readers at Haviland Club Open Mic, Monday Nov 10th at 7 pm. Host Dianne Hicks Morrow, PEI poet laureate, invites everyone who likes to be read to, and everyone willing to read from their own poetry or prose. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free or by donation. Readers can sign up at 7 p.m. to read their own poetry or prose to a friendly audience, up to five minutes. For any questions, please contact Dianne at peipoetlaureate@gmail.

November 14: From Scientist to Author: Local retired UPEI professor and past Dean of Science at UPEI, Roger Gordon, has been very active during his retirement. Many will recognize his name associated with the movement against cosmetic pesticides, and many will soon know him as a published author. Dr. Gordon will be launching his first book—a memoir entitled Starting to Frame—on Friday, November 14, 6:30 PM at The Haviland Club in Charlottetown. The book launch will feature a 50-60’s theme in music, gastronomy, drinks, and costume. Attendees are invited, if they so wish, to come donned in 1950s–1960s attire. Reception begins at 6:30 PM and the official program will begin at 7 PM. All are welcome. Starting to Frame is available at amazon.com, smashwords.com , via the author’s website: startingtoframe.com, at The Bookmark in Charlottetown (from Nov. 14), and at the launch. To contact Dr. Gordon, email him at rgordon566@gmail.com.

November 15: Pirates vs Wereduck – Saturday, November 15th at 2:00 p.m. Join Nimbus authors Kate Inglis (Flight of the Griffons, Dread Crew) and Dave Atkinson (Wereduck) for readings from their books and a debate to settle once and for all which are cooler: pirates or wereducks. For all ages. Please visit the Children’s Desk or call 368-4644 for more information.

November 15: FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting is pleased to send you this reminder that the deadline for submissions to the 2015 Dalton Camp Award is approaching.The winner will receive a $10,000 prize for excellence in creative, original essay-writing on the link between democracy and the media in Canada. A discretionary second prize of $2,500 may be awarded for the best essay by a post-secondary student. The 2015 Award is open to both students and other Canadians.The official rules, past winning essays, a video biography on Dalton Camp, and other details about the Award are available from the Dalton Camp Award website: www.daltoncampaward.ca

November 15: Island author, Chris McGarry will be reading from his new novel, Summer of Fear, at Confederation Centre Public Library Saturday, Nov. 15, 2 pm. In Summer of fear we meet Antonio Guardini, veteran NYPD homicide detective, devoted husband and father, devout Roman Catholic and prolife activist. A mysterious killer who believes he is receiving orders from God begins targeting abortion doctors in New York City. Antonio and six other detectives are assigned to a task force to investigate the murders. Caught in a moral dilemma, Antonio is forced to temporarily place his personal convictions aside in order to catch the murderer, who is closer to him than he could ever imagine…

November 25: Carriage House, Beaconsfield, 7 pm. Judy Gaudet will be launching her new book of poetry, Conversation with Crows, Oberon Press. Everyone welcome.

NOVEMBER 27: Newfoundland author Michael Crummey, who has just been nominated for the Governor General’s 2014 Literary Award for fiction, will be reading from his new novel Sweetland. Venue is the Confed Centre Gallery of Art, time is 7:30pm. Hosted by UPEI’s English Dept, and supported by the CCA and CCAG.

It’s almost time for the 28th Annual Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards. The awards will be held on November 1, 2014, at The Guild on Queen Street in Charlottetown, in two sessions, one at 2:00pm and the other at 7:00pm.

This year, the Committee has added a twist to the ceremony: a short list with the winners announced only at the event. [drum roll please]:

The Short List for the Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Youth Awards – in alphabetical order and not in order of standing – is as follows:

Early Elementary : Hope Affleck for “The Closet,” and Abbi Melvin and Shanelle Jadis for “Magic in the Air.”

Late Elementary: Keridwen Campbell for “All I wanted was a Dinosaur,” Seth Dockendorff for “The No Number Town,” Julia Doucette for “How the Tiger got its Stripes,” Rebecca Ford for “Is this a Dream?”, Milla MacVicar for “The First Rainbow,” and Emma McQuaid for “How Shadows Came to Be.”

The Short List for the Adult Island Literary Awards – in alphabetical order and not in order of standing – is as follows:

Milton Acorn Poetry Award: Charity Becker for “Through the Lens of National Geographic’s Greatest Photographs,” Margo Connors for “Father,” Ann Howatt for “Atlantic Suite,” Margot Maddison-MacFadyen for “Excerpts from the Poem Book,” Ashley Prince for “How this Stillness Feels,” and Olivia Robinson for “Twenty-on Years of Words.”

Maritime Electric Short Story Award: Chris Baily for “This is what you Expected?”, Paul Barton for “Peter’s Shed,” Stephanie Halldorson for “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea,” Philip Macdonald for “Community Reports,” Margot Maddison-MacFadyen for “Christmas Eve Debutante,” and Adam St. Pierre for “The Old Sadogue.”

L.M. Montgomery Writing for Children Award: Michael Conway for “The Headless Horseman and Hallowe’en High Jinks,” Sarah Elvidge for “Sleepy Time for Mamals,” and Tanya Nicolle MacCallum for “Paint the Sky.”

Other details about the award events will be released shortly. In the meantime, mark November 1st off on your calendar. Watch The Buzz, our website – www.peiwritersguild.com, or find us on Facebook – Cox & Palmer Literary Awards – for more up-to-date information.

Hugh MacDonald will be reading from his book of poetry, Cold Against the Heart and speaking about the craft of writing at Confederation Centre Public Library, Saturday, Sept. 6, 3 pm. MacDonald’s poems sing of the Maritimes, and what it’s like to grow up by the sea. He writes about farming on Prince Edward Island, and the daily routine of making a living on the eastern seaboard. A previous poet laureate of Prince Edward Island, Hugh MacDonald is well known as poet, editor and novelist, and a member of the PEIWG.

The PEI Literacy Alliance is proud to announce the launch a new children’s book, BORN! A Foal, Five Kittens, and Confederation, written by Deirdre Kessler, illustrated by Brenda Jones, and published by The Acorn Press, in partnership with PEI2014. The launch will take place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 28th, at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Bring the whole family to this free event. Refreshments will be served.

Celebrate our collective history on August 28th. If you are unable to attend the launch, the book can be purchased online at www.peiliteracy.ca and at local bookstores, such as the independent bookstore, The Bookmark.

Ghislaine O’Hanley is co-ordinating PEI Culture Days this year, and is reaching out to PEIWG members as culture makers and connectors to encourage you to put in your thinking caps and create a free, open to the public and interactive event that celebrates culture during the weekend of September 26-28th, 2014. Activities can be one-offs, collaborations, all weekend or just for an hour. You decide how best to celebrate culture – the idea is to show everyday Canadians what culture looks and feels like. Who knows, you may already have an activity or event planned for that time. If you do, register and come under the culture days umbrella – the more activities the better!

If you have a great idea, register it at www.culturedays.ca. This opens up a huge resource for you for marketing and promoting your event – all free. There will be additional swag that comes in to help promote your event on the day, as well as national and local ad campaigns to drive participation. If you don’t have a great idea, browse through some of the other provinces to see what kinds of things they are up to – it is very inspiring and could lead to a spark. If you still don’t have an idea, please help spread the word about Culture Days through your networks and encourage others to participate.

There is a small pot of funds to assist people in hosting activities, should they require it. The application for support is on the Culture PEI website, www.culturepei.ca. It outlines the parameters for funding.

Other interesting information:

Now accepting submissions: Rebelight Publishing Inc. is a worldwide English language publisher based in Canada, devoted to outstanding fiction for middle grade, young adult, and new adult readers. We’re looking for fresh voices and amazing stories in any genre. Experienced Canadian authors and new writers welcome. Check out www.rebelight.com for more information and submission guidelines.

The PEI Writers’ Guild, in partnership with the UPEI Department of English, are pleased to host a Self-Publishing Symposium in Charlottetown on August 16th from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Join award-winning authors Patti Larsen, William Kowalski and decorated editor Annetta Ribken as they facilitate a day-long session on the business, mechanics and craft of self-publishing your own writing.

Only 13 days left to get your submissions in to the 2014 Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards. Contest ends 30 June 2014 at 4:00pm.

In addition to the adult awards, we have four categories for young people in the

Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People:

Students may write on the topic of their choice and submit in one of four sub-categories:

Early Elementary (Grades 1-3),

Late Elementary (Grades 4-6),

Junior High (Grades 7-9), and

Senior High (Grades 10-12).

A maximum of five pages of poetry, or a ten-page short story, will constitute an entry. Longer submissions will NOT be accepted. There is no entry fee. Cash prizes will be awarded in each sub-category of First, Second, and Third.

School Participation Award:

The school with the highest number of student submissions per capita will be recognized with a certificate and prize at the awards ceremony.

There is no entry fee for young people, so if you know any budding writers that would just love to win a prize, there’s still enough time!

Contest details and contest submission forms can be found and downloaded at www.peiwritersguild.com, click ILAs.